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Cafe Bleu

The Style Council

1984

Buy At Rough Trade
Cafe Bleu
Album Summary

Café Bleu is the official debut album released by the English band The Style Council. It was released on 16 March 1984, on Polydor Records, produced by Paul Weller with Peter Wilson. It followed the compilation Introducing The Style Council, which was released only in the Netherlands, Canada and Japan. The album was mainly recorded at Solid Bond Studios (owned by Weller) except for the strings which were recorded at CBS.Café Bleu was renamed My Ever Changing Moods in the United States to capitalise on the success of the single of the same name. Café Bleu included a large number of extra musicians, known as Honorary Councillors, including Tracey Thorn and Ben Watt from Everything but the Girl. The album represented a huge shift away from Weller's previous group The Jam and towards incorporating his favoured elements of classic soul, jazz and rap.

Wikipedia

Rating

2.89

Votes

10046
Genres
Pop
New Wave

Reviews

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Wed May 12 2021
5

Ooooooh so, so smoooooth. I could feel my fingers sliding down my thighs, take the underpass and arrive with such desire in my dark soft tunnel. It's the record that made me fall in love with music...and also anal fingering.

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Wed Mar 24 2021
2

I was enjoying the instrumental tracks, they're quite pleasant so took the edge off the Weller vocal tracks. However, in a completely unexpected swerve, rap happened. From Weller. The second hand embarrassment is too much. What the fuck was he thinking. It's so cringey, it hurts.

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Thu Jun 10 2021
2

Easy listening for pretentious twats.

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Thu Mar 04 2021
2

2 stars for musicianship but what the fuck was this

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Wed Mar 10 2021
3

I’m not a hundred percent sure who this is for, it seems all over the place in tone

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Wed May 12 2021
1

The piano was annoying at the start. I thought that that was just going to be an intro, but the shit show just continued. Sorry Weller, but it's just a big pile of wank. Utter horse shit. Unacceptable.

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Fri Jan 21 2022
4

This was a fun listen. I’m still not 100% sure how I feel about it. I think that’s because it plays with so many sounds and styles. I’d listen again from front to back for sure. Totally different feel from The Jam as Paul Weller intended. But still rooted in great songwriting and creativity.

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Thu Jun 24 2021
2

An extra star for being Paul Weller. Not sure how the hell he ended up doing this dull and boring record. Now i'm gonna have to go and listen to The Jam.

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Wed May 12 2021
1

Comfortably the worst album we've listened to on this list. I had hitherto been unaware that it was possible to make music that sounds so soulless.

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Fri Nov 26 2021
5

A smooth and seamless record, through both its rhythmic jazz and 80s pop backdrop. The Style Council employs colorful chord progressions and brilliantly mastered drums to evoke the 'Cafe Bleu' emotion, and full discretion; to its album's success. Soul meets the blues on this record - although popularly existing hand-in-hand, The Style Council's prior stylistic decisions influence this amalgam, making it a bright and pleasing listen.

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Sun Oct 31 2021
4

Funky soulful jazzy. Not what I would have expected from Paul Welker but very glad I've discovered it

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Fri Oct 20 2023
4

The first half is some great contemporary jazz, in the 2nd half there is some cheese white-boy 80s hip-hop. It's probably a 3.5 but I was so surprised how much I enjoyed the 1st half, I gave it a 4 star.

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Wed May 12 2021
3

fuck me, that rap track is epic. meandering along on a sea of cafe jazz waiting patiently for shout to the top to come on and then boom, a super 90s funk rap track that you just know had a keytar involved. would happily have taken an album full of that. extra star for that bad boy.

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Tue May 11 2021
3

Really enjoyed this album particularly the first half. While I haven't delved much into the Jam or Style Council it seems like this album pushes more into the direction Paul Weller would go in his solo work. Nice mix of soul, jazz, and pop and a lot of fun to listen to. Favorite songs The Paris Match (noted the Duo from Everything but the Girl are featured on this), My Ever Changing Moods. Give this one 3 stars

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Mon Nov 07 2022
1

The kindest thing I can say is that it's pretty ambitious with its genre hopping. However, others have done it much better. This was just annoying for the most part. I couldn't wait for it to stop. That rap track...lololololol Kudos for trying, in 1984 no less, but woof was that bad. That's coming from someone who generally enjoys old school sryle hip hop. It probably doesn't deserve a 1, but its getting it for annoying thr shit out of me. That's always a ticket to 1 star town.

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Fri Feb 02 2024
1

This is one of the worst album I've ever heard of my life. Not only it was boring, but also annoying, out of place and made with bad taste. What the hell? I can't believe this album was actually made. Lame jazz meets unpleasant pop with their friend, the uncomfortable rap song. Seriously, I can't believe at what I just listened.

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Wed Mar 10 2021
5

The vocal performances aren’t my favorite thing ever, but the songs themselves are really great. From the instrumental jazz to the solo piano and voice tracks to some of the more poppy stuff, there’s a surprising amount of variety. Favorite Track(s): “The Paris Match,” “Dropping Bombs On the Whitehouse,” and “Here’s One That Got Away”

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Sun Jan 16 2022
5

Ahh Paul Weller and his then partner DC Lee. Great album with some super tunes on it. Love Mick Talbots Keyboard playing. "The Whole Point of No Return" "The Paris Match" "My Ever Changing Moods" & "Your The Best Thing" highlights but their isn't a bad track on this. I saw Mick Talbot with Jools Holland's Big Band a few years ago. Justifiably on the list!

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Thu Feb 16 2023
5

Utterly smooth and filled with a level of soul that really speaks to you. The pure force of this album really surprised me, and I found myself being enthralled by nearly every track. Solid stuff and is just the right length to perfectly hold your attention and then move on. Faves: The Whole Point Of No Return, My Ever Changing Moods, Here’s One That Got Away, Me Ship Came In!, Headstart For Happiness, The Paris Match, You’re The Best Thing, Mick’s Blessings

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Fri Jun 09 2023
5

I've always found this such an uplifting album full of optimism. Our Favourite Shop may be TSC' masterpiece, but this is equally worthy for the joy it spreads. The two contrasting sides work really well. Weller was pushing it / taking the piss with the jazz club feel on side 1. Flip it over and side 2 makes you want to run free and celebrate life. I still get that buzz almost forty years later. Headstart for Happiness is such a calling card for all that is possible. Infectious.

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Fri Dec 24 2021
4

Surprisingly good! I really liked The Jam and thought this was a good exploration outside the mod-sound into new territory that could have been quite risky. Not all of the tracks are amazing but it's consistent despite the variety of genres and style.

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Thu May 12 2022
4

The payoff of diminished expectations, eh? As a British indie kid ca. 2000, The Jam were, like The Clash and The Kinks, part of my heritage; when my mates and I made mixtapes for the car in order to impress each other, a Jam track usually found its way onto our exacting compilations. However, The Style Council never got chosen; the only mate of ours who listened to The Style Council did so as an act of genuflection to his hero Paull Weller. This attitude, by my understanding, is pretty common across the UK: The Jam get praised as a key part of the British canon, and The Style Council get dismissed as a peculiarity by a iconic songwriter fleeing from his previous image. In any case, the sophisti-pop, 80s blue-eyed soul, jazzy instrumentals and (gulp) raps each seem, at first glance, a threat rather than an experiment. But ride me sideways, I rather like it. Paul Weller, giving his reasoning for this iconoclasm against The Jam's kinda thing, pointed out that the kids today in the mid-80s were grooving on down to soul, disco, R&B and other genres rooted in black music, so he and his new bandmate Mick Talbot might find exploring such music rewarding. The discerning listener may note that Mick Talbot was formerly the keyboardist for Dexy's Midnight Runners, the great soul champions of British new wave, so The Style Council were not going into these exotic genres that blindly. And Weller makes a decent enough fist of this more soulful style for Café Bleu to work. The album has 5(!) instrumentals, but neither their smoothness nor their jazziness grates. However, songs like The Paris Match (sung by Tracey Thorn of Everything But The Girl) have moments of real beauty, Strength of Your Nature possesses a fierce pulse, and the rap of A Gospel, remarkably, doesn't embarrass Weller nor the listener, a frankly miraculous turn of events when one contemplates the Wham! Rap and a thousand other sorry stabs at hip-hop by white singers. Now, I said I came into this album with slightly diminished expectations, allowing the album to surprise me with its high quality. So if you read this, I might unintentionally heighten your expectations, possibly leading to a sizeable disappointment. Maybe you should just ignore me.

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Wed Mar 31 2021
3

Cool as a cucumber, but maybe a bit bloodless for soul.

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Wed Nov 10 2021
3

Very unique album with regards to it's style: it's got sophistication, quirk, and playfulness. It's the kinda of style that would be later adopted by Vulfpeck with their more funky stylings. Regardless, there's a lot to like about the album but there are some off choices, such as the hiphop song. It might be the most eclectic album I've heard on the list so far, for better or for worse. It's really side B that leans heavy into it's right turns, so be ready for that. Pretty good otherwise.

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Wed Nov 10 2021
3

I liked The Jam (Paul Weller's original band)... I'm not sure about British R&B, personally, but I understand it as a (possibly) important album.

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Tue Oct 10 2023
3

Café Bleu is obviously an album that just tries to do too many things. I don't particularly like the hip hop elements, but the more jazzy stuff is really pleasant. Then again, for some reason the album has stuck with me since I heard it the first time - I just don't know if that's a good or a bad thing.

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Wed Oct 06 2021
2

I really enjoyed the first half of this album a lot. Then it sorta changed around Gospel. Dude started rapping? And like, eh I don't think it's very good. So first half solid, then nose dives.

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Thu Nov 03 2022
1

Not for me. Probably the quickest I forgot an album. Usually if I do this I will try again but nah

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Thu Nov 17 2022
1

This is honestly up there with The Hangman's Beautiful Daughter for bad albums on this list for me. It thinks it's good, that's what bugs me. It's lazy lounge music sung by pretentious jazzy twats who just have to have an accent in the album title. I tried a few songs, skipped to the "hits" on the album, cleaned up the puke on the floor and had to pull out. Would be a zero if I could. Hard pass.

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Tue Feb 06 2024
1

This might be the dorkiest record on this list.

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Sun Feb 11 2024
1

The whole time I was just picturing Paul Allen listening to Huey Lewis.

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Sun Mar 14 2021
5

Always loved this album. Grateful for the reminder

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Wed Nov 10 2021
5

Not sure if this *really* makes the cut for 5 stars or not, but it brightened my day.

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Thu May 05 2022
5

Альбом великолепный. Звучит потрясно, музыка в стиле соул/джаз. Это здорово :)

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Thu Sep 08 2022
5

The Style Council er svo vanmetið verkefni. Algjörlega dásamleg plata hjá þeim. Þessi útgáfa af My Ever Changing Moods er stórfengleg og You're The Best Thing er næstfallegasta ástarlag sem ég veit um.

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Wed Sep 28 2022
5

This was an unexpected treat! Really great. A lot of very different moods and vibes. Will for sure be returning to this in the near future.

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Fri Dec 16 2022
5

It's definitely just the mood that I'm in because I hit 1500 on chess.com while listening to this album, but what a fun album. It's like a perfectly unique mix of jazz, soul, 80s pop, and even hip-hop. I also learned that paul weller started The Jam, whose albums I've given like twos and threes but this is such a step up from that. My Ever Changing Moods is a great exhibit of the first 3 of this combo and is my favorite on this album. It also reminds me of that prefab sprout album I gave a 5.

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Fri May 26 2023
5

El nuevo proyecto de Paul Weller, guitarrista y compositor de The Jam. Un excelente disco Mod, que toma un poco de Jazz, un poco de rock, pero sobretodo el espíritu del Muzak para subvertirlo con una capa de ironía.

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Thu Jun 29 2023
5

What a hidden pearl. I never heard of this album or the artist, but I fell in love. Such good music, especially the opening song Mick's blessing. Good mix of Jazz and pop.

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Tue Aug 22 2023
5

Excellent, uplifting and elegant. The piano solo version of "Ever Changing Moods" is lovely and this might be one's favorite all-time pop song. The jazz playing is well beyond competent – it swings, in fact – and they don't try and do too much with it. "Cafe Blue" and "Paris Match" are heartbreaking, swooningly so. A classic of sophistication and, as with nearly every Weller program, this looks forward even as it appreciates the best of what's past.

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Tue Oct 31 2023
5

Ooo right from the first track I was very into this! Fuck yeah, I'm here for all the funky jazzy keyboard noodling and fun the Style Council has to give! Oh wow, okay left turn. This is such a diverse album in and of itself. Another left turn! And another! Wow. It should feel like an uncomfortable mishmash of moods and styles that give you whiplash with the constant change up track to track, but you know, somehow it WORKS! I enjoyed every second of this strange fun journey, and I loved not knowing where it was going to take me next. I don't know how they fused and melded so many different vibes into this thing without it feeling like a cloudy confusing clusterfuck. It's absolutely brilliant. I love it, will be listening on loop all day today. Great album, flawlessly crafted.

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Fri Nov 10 2023
5

the listed genre of this album should just be “yes” 10/10

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Fri Nov 17 2023
5

Nice and cool from the Modfather :) Whilst I really loved The Jam and their unique sound, you can't argue that Paul Weller's voice and writing style is perfectly suited for soul too. Really nice stuff

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Fri Dec 01 2023
5

This album is freaking awesome. I can’t believe I hadn’t listen to these guys before I’m gonna have to dig more into this genre.

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Wed Dec 06 2023
5

Fantastisches Album, jazz, Frauenstimme, richtig gut.

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Wed Dec 27 2023
5

Wow I enjoyed this a lot right from the get-go. There was such a pleasant variety of sounds and genres, and I enjoyed every song on this album, especially the instrumental pieces. In fact, I'm gonna go listen to it again.

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Fri Dec 29 2023
5

Reminded me of the amazing Live Aid show in London 1985 - a show I was at working for a London Radio station doing stage site interviews and managed to get Bowie, Brian May and anothers to stop and say a few words - Paul Weller was fantastic that day The Style Council where very popular with the crowd too.

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Thu Feb 29 2024
5

My Ever Changing Mood Lijepe laganica pjesme

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Wed Mar 06 2024
5

I am so sad that I didn't know of this album years and years ago. I absolutely loved it and ended up listening to it three times. Definitely going to be checking out the rest of the band's discography

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Thu Mar 14 2024
5

Despite a slight overall quality drop from the Jam, Style Council have of couse made some great albums too, in particular this one. Very smooth.

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Wed Nov 25 2020
4

Me ship came in is excellent. I know its the other way but it reminds me of the hellsing OST but less dark and grimy and more open and mellow. Highly stylistic album with a lot of colour in it.

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Thu Jul 15 2021
4

Lots going on here. While I admire the ambition and it does include some belters, it feels a little disjointed and maybe too eclectic to earn 5 stars.

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Wed Feb 17 2021
4

this record is all over the place - I hear jazz, I hear hip hop, it's enjoyable.

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Fri Apr 23 2021
4

Funky piano, nice mostly peppy sound.

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Wed May 26 2021
4

This was really good! Not quite a 5, but at least 4.5

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Fri Jan 29 2021
4

I'm liking the sound. Very jazzy funk.

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Thu Jun 24 2021
4

I love Style Council. Smooth grooves.

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Thu Feb 04 2021
4

This was a refreshing 80's pop album with a great sound. Has a lot of good and fun production that makes it stick out and it continues to hold up.

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Wed Jun 30 2021
4

Jazz-pop-rock. Mezcla curiosa.

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Mon Apr 19 2021
4

Olin jo lannistunut kun näin että levy vuodelta 1984 ja briteistä. Odotin perus kasarimenoa, mutta tämähän olikin yllätyksekseni ihan raikasta menoa ja vähän jatsahtavaakin otetta löytyi. Tätä kuunteli ihan mielellään.

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Tue May 04 2021
4

What starts off as mostly jazzy instrumentals eventually blends in some soul and even some R/B which I gotta say, surprised me in a good way.

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Thu May 06 2021
4

Working class Revolution.. with style.. Nice

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Mon Apr 05 2021
4

It's actually a good álbum, I didn't think I'd like it as mucho as I do. That combination between synth pop and jazz is like, perfect, so good.

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Tue Jul 06 2021
4

hmmm. i don't know what to make of this intro. it was nice enough, let's hope the singer's voice doesn't disappoint. oh second song starts out even nicer. his voice is okay! real nice and imperfect. oh i love this song so much already. "rising up and taking back, the property of every man" uhhh lol. third song: oh so this album wants to be a 5, i see. love the instrumental tracks so far. loving the feature in 'the paris match'. oh i do not like 'a gospel' this will be a 4 after all. also dislike the 'strength of your nature'. the the last couple of tracks are better but not mind blowing like the first seven.

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Wed May 12 2021
4

Highlights: The Whole Point Of No Return, You're The Best Thing

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Mon May 10 2021
4

Not really my style, but I'm still impressed.

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Fri May 21 2021
4

Piano is solid on it, lots of rhythm

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Thu Jul 29 2021
4

A nice surprise. Had a fresh jazzy feel...bouncy. Worth another listen some time

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Fri Jul 30 2021
4

Back half was weird but it was jazzy and poppy enough to be enjoyable for a lot of it. 8

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Tue Sep 21 2021
4

Fav songs: - Blue Cafe - You're The Best Thing

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Sat Dec 04 2021
4

It’s fun! All I can say about it really! Some really good songs in here

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Sat Dec 04 2021
4

one of the coolest albums to ever do it? An extremely varied series of jazz-pop builds and rises with little to no payoff, notable if only for the fact no two tracks sound the same.

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Thu Dec 23 2021
4

This is a very easy listen and one of my favorites so far.

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Fri Dec 31 2021
4

I can kind of understand why jazz was incorporated in a good amount of music in the early 80s this was a decent album.

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Wed Jan 19 2022
4

Zaczęło się spoko, później tak sobie 3.5

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Wed Jan 19 2022
4

4/5. Pretty varied, but a lil awkward sometimes ngl

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Sun Jan 23 2022
4

Rating: 8/10 Best songs: The Paris match, My ever changing moods, Dropping bombs, Strength of your nature, Council’ meetin

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Mon Jan 24 2022
4

“Solid soul-tinged pop songs, including 'My Ever Changing Moods,' 'Headstart for Happiness' and 'You're the Best Thing.’”

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Thu Jan 27 2022
4

Different and cool, am a sucker for fast piano

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Fri Jan 28 2022
4

So halfway through the I thought to myself “this is kinda bonkers.”

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Thu Feb 17 2022
4

Всегда считал Уэллера рокером (и даже не знал что это его проект) и тут такой, неожиданно, джазовый альбом. Класс! Мне очень понравился

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Fri Feb 18 2022
4

So eclectic I kept checking to make sure it was the same album

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Sun Mar 20 2022
4

Interesting cafe band mellow swing blues jazz fusion !!

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Fri May 13 2022
4

I was so ready to hate this album. ANOTHER British New Wave Band??? LOOK at that cover. I knew *exactly* what this was going to sound like... And then I was completely wrong. This was a fun romp that played with a bunch of genres. Sounded like the kind of thing you'd hear in a cafe.

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Sun Jun 05 2022
4

**6/3/2022 - ALBUM #127** https://open.spotify.com/album/6tF9nPl6x7ACsKZ8alL1he?si=WDF1-mWXT1uAdHxGuK-AAg Today's Album: "Café Bleu" by The Style Council - This album really didn't seem like it was going to blow me away from the front cover and name, but wow this is seriously one of the most compelling albums I've listened to on this generator so far. Like when the first track starts, you think you're in store for this really soulful jazz instrumental album with these really punchy piano playing with a tambourine accompaniment. But then, The Whole Point Of No Return subverts every expectation I had with this really soft, yet powerful guitar ballad about how the rich control everything. Then it's right back to jazz instrumental tracks like nothing happened, the first of which has this really fun Latin groove to it while the second is a super laid back club tune. I at this point really enjoyed how it was mostly instrumental cuts, but then The Paris Match entrances me with yet another slow club song, this time with a really nice female vocalist and at this point I was also noticing the amazing acoustics on the vocal production on the tracks that have vocals. My Ever Changing Moods is definitely the most straightforward track here song-structure wise, but the songwriting itself is actually really great and it's amazing with a really catchy chorus and I am impressed by how much sound is coming out of a simple Piano and Vocal performance. We get another jazz track before a pretty cheesy rap track about gun control. I think it's a decent track with a good message in the lyrics, but I also think it's the point in the album where I like a song slightly less than the rest. Strength of Your Nature is an insanely enjoyable electronic dance track that just goes absolutely nuts with synths and background vocals and I think this was the point in the album where I really felt like there was no consistent theme to the song styles here, but I sort of love it. The rest of the tracks up to the end sort of fit into the same styles we've heard throughout the first 2 legs of the album, but they still all feel really unique from one another and it all lends itself to a pretty outstanding record flow. The closer in particular includes this really upbeat and optimistic organ melody that ends the album on a nice upbeat note. Overall, this is a jampacked record full of fun tracks of a variety of different genres. There definitely is a bit of a range of quality throughout the track list, but I commend the band on just how much sonic ground they cover. Give this one a listen. Period. You will enjoy it. Highlights: Mick's Blessing, The Whole Point Of No Return, Me Ship Came In!, Blue Café, The Paris Match, My Ever Changing Moods, Dropping Bombs On The White House, Strength Of Your Nature, You're The Best Thing, Here's One That Got Away, Headstart For Happiness, Council Meetin' Score: 8/10 An incredibly unique and enjoyable jazz/dance/electronica(?) project

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Thu Jun 30 2022
4

Enjoyed the instrumental tracks most. Pretty cool stuff.

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